Animal rescuers try to keep dozens of dolphins away from Cape Cod shallows after mass stranding

WELLFLEET, Mass. — Animal rescuers tried to keep dozens of dolphins out of the shallow waters off Cape Cod on Saturday after 125 of the animals went missing. stranded himself a day before.

Teams in Massachusetts found a pod of 10 Atlantic white-sided dolphins swimming in a dangerously shallow area at sunrise Saturday and managed to herd them to deeper water, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.

Scouts also found a second pod of 25 dolphins swimming close to shore near Eastham, the organization said, as efforts continued there as the tide receded throughout the morning.

Ten dolphins died Friday when they stranded at The Gut — or Great Island — in Wellfleet, on the Herring River.

The organization said it was the largest mass stranding it had seen in the Cape area in its 26-year history. The Gut is where strandings occur regularly, which experts say is partly due to its hook-like shape and extreme tidal fluctuations.

Misty Niemeyer, the organization’s stranding coordinator, said rescuers faced many challenges on Friday, including difficult mud conditions and the fact that the dolphins were scattered over a large area.

“It was a grueling 12-hour response in the blazing sun, but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins the best chance of survival,” Niemeyer said in a statement.

According to the organization, the team set out on foot and drove the animals to deeper water. They then used three small boats equipped with underwater pingers.

The rescue efforts include more than 25 of the organization’s employees and 100 trained volunteers. The group also received support from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps of Cape Cod and the New England Aquarium.